Being born with dual spiritual roots was supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime blessing.
Forget about ordinary cultivators, even famous experts, the kind who had shaken the cultivation world for hundreds of years, would fight to take such a person as their disciple.
To become a great master’s student meant more than respect. It meant soaring status. It meant protection. It meant that no matter what happened, at the very least, you could live in wealth and comfort.
This was how it should have been.
But if something goes too far against common sense, then there must be a problem.
And the problem was right in front of him.
The original owner of this body, born with dual roots, should have been admired, flattered, and spoiled since childhood.
Instead, he had ended up poor, bullied, and treated worse than dirt under someone’s shoe.
Lou Xingyao frowned. He hadn’t even begun to search through the boy’s memories when a sudden wave of memories burst out from deep inside the body.
They struck him like a tidal wave, crashing into his soul before he could resist.
“Dual spiritual roots? Ha! Don’t make me laugh! Genius? He’s nothing but trash!”
“Exactly! We all thought dual roots were supposed to be something amazing. But look at him! beaten like a stray dog, unable to even crawl up from the mud!”
“Hahaha, hey cripple, how about this, crawl on all fours and bark a few times like a mutt for young master here. Do that, and maybe I’ll be generous and spare your life. What’s wrong? Too proud to bark? Fine then, don’t worry… we’ll make you bark soon enough!”
Their laughter was cruel, echoing in his skull.
Mocking faces leaned close, eyes shining with malice. Cold sneers cut deeper than any blade.
Then came the fists. The kicks. The wooden sticks crashing down without pause.
Lou Xingyao felt it all. The thud of every blow. The crack of bones. The dull ache that sank into muscles.
He could almost taste blood at the corner of his lips, feel dirt scratching his skin as his face was pressed into the ground.
These weren’t just memories. They were living wounds, forcing themselves onto his nerves as if he had truly endured them himself.
It was suffocating, like drowning in a storm.
Thankfully, the wave passed quickly. The agony faded as suddenly as it had arrived, leaving behind a heavy silence in his chest.
And in that silence, the truth.
The original owner had been born premature. His body was fragile from the very start.
His bones were weak, his health poor, and his meridians, those vital channels for cultivating spiritual energy, were as thin as threads.
Too thin. Too fragile.
If he ever tried to force spiritual energy inside, his meridians would burst apart, his body would explode, and death would be instant.
Cultivation? Impossible.
On the Tianming Continent, where cultivation was everything, there was something even rarer than a genius with single roots.
It was a so-called “genius” with dual roots… who could not cultivate.
A cripple.
No matter how precious dual roots were, they were useless here. What good was a golden key if the lock it opened led to nothing but a wall?
In truth, it was worse than being mortal with no roots at all. At least mortals never fooled themselves with false hopes.
At least they lived honestly, without hanging between heaven and earth like this poor child, neither one nor the other.
And all the cruelty in those memories, the jeers, the scorn, the merciless fists came from this single bitter truth.
The Lou clan wasn’t just any family. With two Foundation Establishment cultivators seated at its head, they were considered a dominant force in Pingyang County.
In such a powerful clan, descendants flourished. In the generation of the original owner alone, there were over twenty juniors of the same age.
When they were tested for talent, the Lou clan had become famous in Pingyang County overnight.
But it was not a fame of glory. It was a fame of mockery.
Out of all those juniors, only one had dual roots, the original owner.
One had triple roots.
And the rest? All four or five roots.
Now, don’t underestimate the difference of just a single root. Between triple and quadruple roots was the difference between heaven and earth.
Triple roots could still dream of reaching Foundation Establishment.
But four roots? For most, Qi Refining was already the ceiling.
As for five roots? They were basically destined never to step onto the cultivation path at all.
Which meant, out of more than twenty hopeful children, only one was considered worth training.
Just one.
But the clan’s hope, their so-called “genius,” turned out to be a cripple.
When the news spread, Pingyang erupted in laughter.
“The Lou family’s luck has run out. After so many years, they finally birthed a dual-root genius, and he turned out useless. Truly pitiful!”
“The Lou family’s prosperity was always false. A mere flash of luck. Now their true weakness is exposed.”
The ones who suffered most under these whispers were not outsiders.
It was the other juniors of that generation.
If the best among them was a cripple… then what were the rest? Trash? Garbage? The shame of the county?
Already weighed down by their own poor talents, they grew more bitter day by day. And all of that bitterness turned into hatred for the original owner, who had dragged them into the mud along with him.
From then on, he was isolated.
At first, there was still some fear. After all, dual roots were still special.
What if one day he miraculously found a way to cultivate? So in the beginning, their bullying was only words, sharp, mocking, but not fatal.
But once healer after healer confirmed he had no chance of cultivation, their cruelty broke loose.
First they stole his belongings.
Then they shoved him around in the courtyards.
Soon fists and kicks followed.
Even when one incident was caught by the elders, the punishment was nothing but a few light scoldings.
The message was clear.
And so the bullying only grew worse.
The boy had no father. His mother had long passed away.
He had no elder to shield him, no master to protect him.
So he endured. He tried to avoid others, living as quietly as he could.
But no matter how carefully he hid, it was never enough. They always found him. Always dragged him out. Always beat him bloody.
And not long before Lou Xingyao arrived in this body, the boy had once again been beaten nearly to death.
The only reason Xingyao hadn’t noticed right away was because of the boy’s strange recovery ability.
Maybe it was something in his body. Maybe it was connected to his dual roots. Nobody knew.
But since childhood, no matter how badly he was injured, even if he was one step away from death, he always healed fully within three to five days.
This strange resilience was the very reason his tormentors dared to be so merciless. Their “punching bag” always bounced back.
Lou Xingyao lifted a hand to his forehead. The wound he had split open earlier with a brick? Gone. Smooth skin, not even a scar.
He blinked. Then muttered softly, “…This body really was born to be a punching bag.”
And then, just as those words left his mouth. A guilty voice whispered in his mind, “I’m… sorry.”
Lou Xingyao stiffened. His heart skipped once. Then he calmed, forcing himself to steady.
“…And you are?”
“I am Lou Xingyao. The original owner of this body. You can also call me Lou Xiaowu.”
The voice was soft, gentle, like a candle flame in the dark.
It wasn’t strange. Who else could speak inside his head but the boy who had lived here before?
But the question was
“What now? Do we share this body? One body, two souls?”
Honestly, being reborn was already a miracle. If the price was sharing space, it wasn’t so bad.
It was like moving from a single room into a shared dorm. As long as they didn’t fight over the bed, it was fine.
“Don’t worry,” the boy’s voice was calm, “From now on, this body is yours. I’ve already… disappeared.”
“Disappeared?” Xingyao frowned, “Then who am I speaking to now?”
“A sliver of consciousness,” Lou Xiaowu explained softly. “Left behind when your soul resonated with my body.”
Resonance.
So that was why he had been able to enter this body at all.
Xiaowu explained further. Body-seizing was not simple. Without special conditions, without extreme luck, without perfect compatibility, it was impossible.
If the fit had been too low, Xingyao might have forced his way in… but he would have been trapped, paralyzed, maybe even a mindless husk.
But now, not only was he moving freely, he had inherited Xiaowu’s memories.
“And why do we fit so well?”
Xiaowu’s voice carried a faint laugh. “Because you are me. Another me. From another world. A parallel self.”
“So those memories earlier… you gave them to me?” Xingyao asked.
“Yes. I wanted to give them from the start. But I was afraid you wouldn’t be able to handle it.”
The boy sounded apologetic.
And indeed, those memories had nearly torn Xingyao’s mind apart. If they hadn’t been buffered, he might have gone insane.
Taking a deep breath, Xingyao said sincerely, “Thank you. I was reckless before.”
“…It’s enough that you don’t hate me,” Xiaowu sighed in relief. Then his voice lowered, softer than before. “My time is almost gone. Do you have anything else you want to ask?”
“What do you mean?” Xingyao suddenly noticed, the boy’s presence was fading.
“I was only a remnant, forcing myself to linger. To last this long was already a miracle.”
His words were calm. Resigned.
Xingyao’s heart clenched. Still, he asked, “Do you have a last wish?”
There was a long pause.
Finally, the boy whispered, “If possible… live longer for me.”
Live longer.
On this continent, who lived longer than cultivators?
Xingyao understood instantly. This was the boy’s greatest regret. He had roots but could not cultivate. His life was cut short before it ever began.
Xingyao didn’t hesitate.
“I promise. I will live longer.”
The road ahead might be filled with thorns. But he would walk it anyway.
“…Thank you.”
The boy’s voice was fading into nothing. With his last breath, he whispered, “It was good to meet you. I’m sorry, though… that the body I left you is such a poor house.”
And then he was gone.
Xingyao stood frozen.
Now he understood. When the boy had first said “sorry,” it hadn’t been about the memories. It hadn’t been about the bullying.
It had been about this body, weak, fragile, crippled.
But Xingyao laughed.
“This body? Poor? Don’t be silly. You’re younger than me. Just getting to move in already feels like I’ve struck a bargain.”
Of course, no one could hear him anymore.
A faint regret lingered. But Xingyao wasn’t the type to wallow.
He straightened, steadied his breath, and focused on the one thought burning in his chest.
Cultivation!
But just as determination filled him, a loud voices shouted outside his door, shattering the silence.
✦ ✧ ✦
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ COFFEE OFFERING
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
← PreviousNext →
ChaptersChapter 1 · Crossing OverChapter 2 · Lu XioaWuChapter 3 · UncleChapter 4 · Substitute MarriageChapter 5 · Travelling Through BookChapter 6 · SpaceChapter 7 · InheritanceChapter 8 · ExplanationChapter 9 · He familyChapter 10 · CompensateChapter 11 · WeddingChapter 12 · LeavingChapter 13 · SuspicionChapter 14 · Change SurnameChapter 14 · Change SurnameChapter 15 · SummaryChapter 16 · Family BusinessChapter 17 · ResettlementChapter 18 · DeterminationChapter 19 · TreatChapter 20 · Enter the TaoChapter 21 · Private TrainingChapter 22 · BreakthroughChapter 23 · ExperienceChapter 24 Part 1 · Questions and AnswersChapter 24 Part 2 · Questions and answersChapter 25 · GiftChapter 25 Part 1 · GiftChapter 26 Part 1 · Sword IntentChapter 26 Part 2 · Sword IntentChapter 27 Part 1 · SelectChapter 27 Part 2 · SelectChapter 28 Part 1 · PastChapter 28 Part 2 · PastChapter 29 Part 1 · ConfessionChapter 29 Part 2 · ConfessionChapter 30 Part 1 · TradeChapter 30 Part 2 · TradeChapter 31 Part 1 · Male LeadChapter 31 Part 2 · Male LeadChapter 32 Part 1 · LuckChapter 32 Part 2 · LuckChapter 33 Part 1 · GuessingChapter 33 Part 2 · GuessingChapter 34 Part 1 · SystemChapter 34 Part 2 · SystemChapter 35 · OpportunityChapter 36 Part 1 · LingquanChapter 36 Part 2 · LingquanChapter 37 Part 1 · Hundred Flowers PartChapter 37 Part 2 · Hundred Flowers PartChapter 38 · Worth itChapter 39 · SaintessChapter 40 · ExperimentChapter 41 · Vampire SystemChapter 42 · NotesChapter 43 · WarningChapter 44 · PlanChapter 45 · Fellow VillagersChapter 46 · AssimilationChapter 47 · IlliterateChapter 48 · Pak WahChapter 49 · Sudden EnlightenmentChapter 50 · Wen ZhiChapter 51 · CarrierChapter 52 · LeavingChapter 53 · Follow UpChapter 54 · OutrageousChapter 55 · OnceChapter 56 · TeasingChapter 57 · Playing aroundChapter 58 · Beast fireChapter 59 · Watching a PlayChapter 60 · Extermination of the entire clanChapter 61 · ChoiceChapter 62 · PossessionChapter 63 · CalculationChapter 64 · GuaranteedChapter 65 · Grand OpeningChapter 66 · Grand OpeningChapter 67 · Protecting one’s ownChapter 68 · Secret RealmChapter 69 · BetrayalChapter 70 · DetailsChapter 71 · FramedChapter 72 · MeetingChapter 73 · KillChapter 74 · MapChapter 75 · FoundationChapter 76 · Strange Phenomenon!Chapter 77 · ExchangeChapter 78 · LetterChapter 79 · ShortcutChapter 80 · God of Slaughter!Chapter 81 · Poison PillChapter 82 · Lou ShuChapter 83 · ProgressChapter 84 · An attemptChapter 85 · Movement and StillnessChapter 86 · Good intentionsChapter 87 · ChangeChapter 88 · Childhood friendChapter 89 · ThoughtsChapter 90 · Old storiesChapter 91 · HeritageChapter 92 · TestChapter 93 · LoverChapter 94 · Heartfelt wishesChapter 95 · MasterChapter 96 · TeachingChapter 97 · IllusionChapter 98 · Mutual RestraintChapter 99 · ObstructionChapter 100 · PalaceChapter 101 · Core TechniqueChapter 102 · OathChapter 103 · Dual cultivationChapter 104 · AccessChapter 105 · VulnerabilityChapter 106 · DensityChapter 107 · WantedChapter 108 · EntrustChapter 109 · RevisitChapter 110 · MonitoringChapter 111 · Secret RealmChapter 112 · NourishChapter 113 · InventoryChapter 114 · Get Rich QuicklyChapter 115 · ElderChapter 116 · Grand FormationChapter 117 · Heaven’s WillChapter 118 · BountyChapter 119 · GainChapter 120 · BlameChapter 121 · ChattingChapter 122 · GuessChapter 123 · Zheng TianChapter 124 · SparringChapter 125 · Sword intentChapter 126 · KenshinChapter 127 · Auditing a classChapter 128 · CoincidenceChapter 129 · ContradictionChapter 130 · RouteChapter 131 · CostChapter 132 · ConfiscatedChapter 133 · Holding a grudgeChapter 134 · SupportChapter 135 · DeteriorationChapter 136 · Unable toChapter 137 · PriceChapter 138 · VariantChapter 139 · Start AnewChapter 140 · ShamelessChapter 141 · Black PotChapter 142 · Benefiting fromChapter 143 · PieChapter 144 · DifferencesChapter 145 · DetoxificationChapter 146 · Current situationChapter 147 · TeasingChapter 148 · IntelligenceChapter 149 · Returned GiftChapter 150 · Old debtChapter 151 · FleshChapter 152 · OpeningChapter 153 · GrudgesChapter 154 · RegretChapter 155 · Gang fightChapter 156 · GentleChapter 157 · ComplaintChapter 158 · ScreamsChapter 159 · GeniusChapter 160 · ConcernChapter 161 · Hidden StoryChapter 162 · StingyChapter 163 · Guilty conscienceChapter 164 Part 1 · StruggleChapter 164 Part 2 · StruggleChapter 165 · Win or LoseChapter 166 · TasteChapter 167 · Shifting The BlameChapter 168 · MoonlightChapter 169 · Past EventChapter 170 · RegretChapter 171 · RetributionChapter 172 · Cause and EffectChapter 173 · BackgroundChapter 174 · FlatteryChapter 175 · HonestChapter 176 · BookkeepingChapter 177 · FarewellChapter 178 · GuidelineChapter 179 · BottleneckChapter 180 · HabitChapter 181 · Casual ChatChapter 182 · Flowing WaterChapter 183 · RumoursChapter 184 · Seeking AdviceChapter 185 · PityChapter 186 · FormationChapter 187 · BasicChapter 188 · Fake TombChapter 189 · BewareChapter 190 · TraceChapter 191 · DiscussChapter 192 · Ancestral preceptsChapter 193 · Loose CultivatorChapter 194 · AllocationChapter 195 · Thank you for your kindnessChapter 196 · ExplanationChapter 197 · ErrorChapter 198 · Culinary skillsChapter 199 · Starry SeaChapter 200 · ComparisonChapter 201 · FrustratedChapter 202 · Don’t watchChapter 203 · LonelinessChapter 204 · NoChapter 205 · Exposing ShortcutsChapter 206 · CraftsmanshipChapter 207 · Bottom LineChapter 208 · StrikeChapter 209 · Ten GoldChapter 210 · Pretentious